Teaching the Public Health Core Competency of Policy Development to Baccalaureate

Teaching the public health core cotnpctcncy of policy development to baccalaureate student nurses was the purpose of this project. This project was implemented through interdisciplinary coUabot^tion of one innovative slate health district and the faculty of a large, urban university. Through educatioti in the core competency of policy develt)pment, attention to one county's as-sessed health needs was introduced to its county board of health with the goal of influencing health policy regarding those needs. Data obtained have continued to be used by this county in health planning and grant writing activities and have been built upon by other student groups. Key words: baccalaureate education, policy lieveloptnent, population-focused practice, popu-lation health, public health nursing ENSURING THE HEALTH OF COMMUNI-TIES depends greatly on the skills and abilities of the public bealth workforce. Pub-lic healtb nurses (PHNs), the single largest group of public healtb workers (26.1 % of the Georgia public healtb workforce iti 2003) are the backbone of public healtb. As a part of tbe public healtb team, PHNs need a broad range of poptilation-based skills. The mi